The effect of antidepressants on rat aggressive behavior in the electric footshock and apomorphine-induced aggressiveness paradigms.

Abstract

The effects of acute antidepressant treatment were studied in the electric footshock and apomorphine-induced aggressiveness paradigms and found to be ineffective in both experimental models. In the apomorphine-induced aggressiveness test, 100 mg/kg L-tryptophan challenge manifested the antiaggressive effect of 10 mg/kg fluoxetine (a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) treatment. Thus, concomitant L-tryptophan plus fluoxetine treatment decreased the intensity of aggressive postures and increased the time of latency before first attack. In conclusion, our study demonstrates the involvement of the serotoninergic neurotransmission in the neurobiology of aggressive behavior, but after acute treatment in normal rats, the antidepressants do not elicit antiaggressive effects.